We lost the left side of our line bro, Dielman and Big Mc / Dielman. Then add in that we never had a decent right side to begin with, and we have a QB getting hit and pressured on the reg, and it's a huge part of our problem.

The worst part is that Dielman would still be playing now but for an incompetent coaching / medical staff.

We lost the left side of our line bro, Dielman and Big Mc / Dielman. Then add in that we never had a decent right side to begin with, and we have a QB getting hit and pressured on the reg, and it's a huge part of our problem.

The worst part is that Dielman would still be playing now but for an incompetent coaching / medical staff.

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Dielman and McNeill were last year. That was an excuse for last year not this year.. I'm not letting it pass like that..

4 lame pass plays dialed up with over a minute and time outs available on 1st and 10 from inside the 15?
No running plays, no screens, no dump offs, no slants, no short crossing patterns.
Norv u suck. Unoriginal. Predictable. Pathetic. Next.

4 lame pass plays dialed up with over a minute and time outs available on 1st and 10 from inside the 15?
No running plays, no screens, no dump offs, no slants, no short crossing patterns.
Norv u suck. Unoriginal. Predictable. Pathetic. Next.

No beef up front makes it kind of tough to run or throw with any consistency.

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There are no other options besides run or throw. It's like we're running accidental screens on every play.
If you're going to let them through, hey, why not run an effin' screen play?
The Gals brought pressure on that last series, Norv countered it by trying 4 passes to the outside corners.
Dump one off to Mathews or a quick post up by Gates or a slant by any receiver or effin' anything that
takes less than 2 seconds. Hey, how about just putting Rivers in the shotgun? They knew we were putting it
up anyway, at least this way, you've already got a cushion so that Rivers can step into a pass.

There are no other options besides run or throw. It's like we're running accidental screens on every play.
If you're going to let them through, hey, why not run an effin' screen play?
The Gals brought pressure on that last series, Norv countered it by trying 4 passes to the outside corners.
Dump one off to Mathews or a quick post up by Gates or a slant by any receiver or effin' anything that
takes less than 2 seconds. Hey, how about just putting Rivers in the shotgun? They knew we were putting it
up anyway, at least this way, you've already got a cushion so that Rivers can step into a pass.

What exactly was wrong with Steve Schilling? At least he can play guard and tackle effectively.. I just don't understand why we don't look elsewhere (FA's, Waivers, PS's) for OL beef..

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Have you seen the dearth that's actually out there?

As to practice squads, a good part of that is because it's not like we have a plant in other teams' facilities to evaluate what kind of growth any of the guys on other PS's have shown since the preseason - so we're left with evaluating them off of the tape we have from the preseason (which most of these guys look incredibly raw... and that's against mostly 3rd string or presently unemployed/other PS players).

Teams horde even average OL these days. The bones of the free agent pile have been picked right clean, leaving only the likes of eternal busts like Alex Barron, Josh Beekman, and Kyle Cook out there. Even looking at the old farts, I have to assume there's something significantly wrong with Chad Clifton if the Packers (who he started for not long ago and who presently have three OT's on IR) haven't kicked up his rocks.

As to practice squads, a good part of that is because it's not like we have a plant in other teams' facilities to evaluate what kind of growth any of the guys on other PS's have shown since the preseason - so we're left with evaluating them off of the tape we have from the preseason (which most of these guys look incredibly raw... and that's against mostly 3rd string or presently unemployed/other PS players).

Teams horde even average OL these days. The bones of the free agent pile have been picked right clean, leaving only the likes of eternal busts like Alex Barron, Josh Beekman, and Kyle Cook out there. Even looking at the old farts, I have to assume there's something significantly wrong with Chad Clifton if the Packers (who he started for not long ago and who presently have three OT's on IR) haven't kicked up his rocks.

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I'm just saying, there's gotta be someone out there that can give us some kind of upgrade..

I'm just saying, there's gotta be someone out there that can give us some kind of upgrade..

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You need to quit with the platitudes. If you're so convinced there's someone out there, then do the legwork, go to KFFL or USA Today, examine the list of guys presently no rostered and not on IR and let us know who it is.

I've looked over these lists several times and I'm telling you these people aren't there. Just because you think there should be people there doesn't mean there are. We're far from the only team with OL struggles or OL injuries. Because this is such a passing league now, OL come at a premium and are held onto at a greater rate than man other positions.

Yes, the guys we have right now suck. But so do the guys who are on the wire right now... which is exactly why they're unemployed.

You need to quit with the platitudes. If you're so convinced there's someone out there, then do the legwork, go to KFFL or USA Today, examine the list of guys presently no rostered and not on IR and let us know who it is.

I've looked over these lists several times and I'm telling you these people aren't there. Just because you think there should be people there doesn't mean there are. We're far from the only team with OL struggles or OL injuries. Because this is such a passing league now, OL come at a premium and are held onto at a greater rate than man other positions.

Yes, the guys we have right now suck. But so do the guys who are on the wire right now... which is exactly why they're unemployed.

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Exactly what I was saying before, we're not the only team with OL injuries. Pretty soon we're gonna end up with an injured QB..

But is it coaching? I think it is because teams like Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and even Philadelphia, who's running back has rushed for 150+ yards tonight so far..

Over the last couple of years we have lost a lot of talent, particularly on the O-line. Going into today's game our line consisted of a Center who was a Pro-Bowler years ago, two Guards that are average at best, a raw, undrafted rookie Left Tackle and a Right Tackle that frankly should have been replaced long ago for poor performance. These guys gave up 6 sacks last week. Rivers is lucky he hasn't been broken in half. The only holes these guys are opening are for defenders to stream through like a pack of wild dogs. I do have issues with the coaching, but the elephant in the room here is that our roster, particularly on offense has been depleted by players moving on or retiring due to age or injury and we have not gotten quality replacement personnel. This off-season, the person sitting in the GM's office needs to make the rebuilding of the O-line a top priority. Dean needs to keep to his word when he agreed to bring Norv and AJ back for this season...No playoffs, no jobs for Norv and AJ. At this point the only way our guys are going to the playoffs is through Ticketmaster.
Please find a way to beat the freaking Ray-turds on December 30th!!!!

Exactly what I was saying before, we're not the only team with OL injuries. Pretty soon we're gonna end up with an injured QB..

But is it coaching? I think it is because teams like Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and even Philadelphia, who's running back has rushed for 150+ yards tonight so far..

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Coaching may be the difference with us and Philly. But the difference with us versus Pittsburgh and Tampa should be evident. Ben and Freeman are both infinitely more mobile than Rivers is. Yes, there's coaching to factor in too (how many times have we seen Pitt, Tampa, or Philly go empty backfield with as much as their OL's have struggled? How many times has Norv made that call for us? Exactly my point).

Effectively in the past we had a combination of guys who weren't quite so crappy that they didn't expose that our coaches are only mediocre-at-best. I still find it funny that DotCom touts Hal Hunter as being the OL "Guru" who engineered the makeshift line that got Rivers to success in '10 despite a slew of injuries. Funny how when the injuries kick back up, our "guru" is as useless as a liquor license in Utah.

Dielman and McNeill were last year. That was an excuse for last year not this year.. I'm not letting it pass like that..

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving either of them a pass for their poor play, but the terrible o-line play has had a hand in it for some of this. The team has had no decent LT and has struggled without that, and the team this year doesn't have a great OG like Dielman, and it does show.

I do honestly believe now that we have the worst line in the league, both LT and RT spots are terrible, Green is just not good enough, and this all does have a knock on effect on the offense as a whole.

If I could break down Rivers for a second:
1. Bad decision making couple with bad execution
2. Bad play calling
3. Terrible protection
4. The supporting cast is lacking in quality when compared to previous years.

Then Mathews:
1. Bad ball security - some critical fumbles.
2. I don't think he gets enough touches. I think his confidence is low and the organization has shown faith and given him a chance to work through his issues to overcome them.
3. Dreadful run blocking.
4. A lot of times we seemed to have gone away from the run at a bad time, e.g. with a lead we keep looking to pass, and this not only has lessened Mathews' carries, but also has hurt our team because we've choked up those leads and lost those games through bad play selection and bad clock management.

Obviously both have their shortcomings, but neither are really put in a position to succeed either.

What exactly was wrong with Steve Schilling? At least he can play guard and tackle effectively.. I just don't understand why we don't look elsewhere (FA's, Waivers, PS's) for OL beef..

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and thats why we are in the situation we are in right now. We draft linemen but they are always late round draft picks. All the good linemen have all ready been drafted. Now you want to place some scrub that some team has let go to patch up a hole. The good teams do not let thier good linemen go.

Oh... and just when you thought we'd seen the worst we could see. Well, going into Pittsburgh to face Harrison and Woodley and Timmons, we get this news:

According to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, Chargers coach Norv Turner said Monday that he doesn’t expect left tackle Michael Harris (ankle) or right tackle Jeromey Clary (knee) or left guard Tyronne Green (hamstring) to be available Sunday against the Steelers.

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Someone warm up Charlie, I'd bank on him seeing time in this game at some point.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving either of them a pass for their poor play, but the terrible o-line play has had a hand in it for some of this. The team has had no decent LT and has struggled without that, and the team this year doesn't have a great OG like Dielman, and it does show.

I do honestly believe now that we have the worst line in the league, both LT and RT spots are terrible, Green is just not good enough, and this all does have a knock on effect on the offense as a whole.

If I could break down Rivers for a second:
1. Bad decision making couple with bad execution
2. Bad play calling
3. Terrible protection
4. The supporting cast is lacking in quality when compared to previous years.

Then Mathews:
1. Bad ball security - some critical fumbles.
2. I don't think he gets enough touches. I think his confidence is low and the organization has shown faith and given him a chance to work through his issues to overcome them.
3. Dreadful run blocking.
4. A lot of times we seemed to have gone away from the run at a bad time, e.g. with a lead we keep looking to pass, and this not only has lessened Mathews' carries, but also has hurt our team because we've choked up those leads and lost those games through bad play selection and bad clock management.

Obviously both have their shortcomings, but neither are really put in a position to succeed either.

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I agree with you but,

Why did we draft a lineman in the 5th round who we knew would have to miss time? Or if we missed Dielman that much don't you think we would of made it a priority to draft an OL in the 3rd instead of a safety who has been inactive all year until this past week?

Or how about when Dombrowski went down? Or when Gaither missed all of camp, pre-season, and the opener shouldn't we have looked for a replacement, ex., last min. cuts, trades? Gaither has had chronic back issues in the past and could re-occur during the season (it was his groin now instead , shocker ) instead of protecting PR's blindside with an undrafted rookie?

I blame AJ for this debacle once again, but Norv isn't given a pass. When we were healthy, for example New Orleans, Denver, Cleveland, etc. should of been wins. And the blown leads heading into the 4th quarter. This team should be 9 and 3 with good coaching, not even great coaching..

Why did we draft a lineman in the 5th round who we knew would have to miss time? Or if we missed Dielman that much don't you think we would of made it a priority to draft an OL in the 3rd instead of a safety who has been inactive all year until this past week?

Or how about when Dombrowski went down? Or when Gaither missed all of camp, pre-season, and the opener shouldn't we have looked for a replacement, ex., last min. cuts, trades? Gaither has had chronic back issues in the past and could re-occur during the season (it was his groin now instead , shocker ) instead of protecting PR's blindside with an undrafted rookie?

I blame AJ for this debacle once again, but Norv isn't given a pass. When we were healthy, for example New Orleans, Denver, Cleveland, etc. should of been wins. And the blown leads heading into the 4th quarter. This team should be 9 and 3 with good coaching, not even great coaching..

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Oh no doubt, when it comes to the current state of the O-line, there isn't an excuse for it. The way I see it, AJ took a huge gamble on Gaither being fit, and it backfired. Maybe AJ just blindly believed that Gaither would stay healthy and that Green was good enough. If so, that is a mistake by AJ.

If they believe that guy in the 5th could be a future steal then I can understand it, and I can kinda understand the safety in the 3rd because we needed one, maybe they thought he would be better and crack the rotation before now, but like I said he gambled on Gaither staying healthy for pretty much the first time in his career, and it's pretty much blown up in his face.

You are right about the coaching also, he knows the o-line is bad and should be trying to adjust accordingly, and should manage the game a lot better when we have a lead to work with, we can only hope that justice is served in the offseason and we get a coaching upgrade.

Oh no doubt, when it comes to the current state of the O-line, there isn't an excuse for it. The way I see it, AJ took a huge gamble on Gaither being fit, and it backfired. Maybe AJ just blindly believed that Gaither would stay healthy and that Green was good enough. If so, that is a mistake by AJ.

If they believe that guy in the 5th could be a future steal then I can understand it, and I can kinda understand the safety in the 3rd because we needed one, maybe they thought he would be better and crack the rotation before now, but like I said he gambled on Gaither staying healthy for pretty much the first time in his career, and it's pretty much blown up in his face.

You are right about the coaching also, he knows the o-line is bad and should be trying to adjust accordingly, and should manage the game a lot better when we have a lead to work with, we can only hope that justice is served in the offseason and we get a coaching upgrade.

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I mean Gaither was the only option we had.. So I don't blame them for that, cause I was a supporter for us to sign him. But the failure of a back up plan is what I do blame AJ for. Your back up is an UDFA Rookie behind him? Come on. After seeing what happened to Rivers with a bad OL don't you think it would be a priority to fix the OL? Forget replacing Vincent Jackson, Rivers made scrubs into players in 2010 without him.

Gaither went down, then Dombrowski. Those are your two best options at LT. And Dombrowski wasn't good at that position.

The Rams and Jets exchanged Tackles, Jason Smith & Wayne Hunter. I think any of those two I'd be happy with right now. Brian Waters wanted to play closer to Texas and his family, don't you think the Chargers would look into a Pro-Bowl Guard to replace Dielman?! We could of exchanged something with the Patriots for him.

We let guys walk, like VJ, Tolbert, etc. The money we wasted on both Meachem and Royal, who've combined for 30 catches this season and 2-3 TD's.. We could of spent on a guy like Ben Grubbs who was available at Guard.

We had V. Brown and Floyd, then additions like Spurlock, Parrish, and even a guy like Jerome Simpson (Who would be suspended the first 3 games) and Ajirotutu would have all combined to do a better job than Meachem and Royal thus far. Then finding that diamond in the rough like Alexander.